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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25713598">Background Marcaniel</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/nyktophantasm/pseuds/nyktophantasm'>nyktophantasm</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Akuma Attack, Akumatized Main Character(s), Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Apologies, Awkward Crush, Background Character Focus, Developing Relationship, Drawing, Emotions, Episode: s01 La Marionnettiste | The Puppeteer, Episode: s01 Le Dessinateur | The Evillustrator, Episode: s02 Catalyste | Catalyst (Heroes' Day Part 1), Episode: s02 Le Patineur | Frozer, Episode: s02 Mayura (Heroes' Day Part 2), Episode: s02 Reverser, Episode: s02 Rossignoble | Frightningale, Episode: s03 Gamer 2.0, Episode: s03 Mangeamour | Heart Hunter (Battle of the Miraculous Part 1), Episode: s03 Miracle Queen (The Battle of the Miraculous Part 2), Episode: s03 Trouble Fête | Party Crasher, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Friendship, Light Angst, M/M, Minor Character(s), Pre-Relationship, Protective Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Rebellion, Rhyming, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Gestures, Sad with a Happy Ending, Sleepy Cuddles, Slow Dancing, Writing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 10:02:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,327</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25713598</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/nyktophantasm/pseuds/nyktophantasm</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Because they're in the background of a lot of episodes, but obviously things happened to them...<br/> </p>
<p>Who knows, I might do episodes they weren't even in. I just want them to have recognition!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alix Kubdel &amp; Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Marc Anciel &amp; Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marc Anciel &amp; Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Marc Anciel/Nathaniel Kurtzberg</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>79</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>160</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Frightingale</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is within the idea that Frightingale happened after Reverser. It probably didn't, but the official episode order put Frozer before Reverser, which is literally impossible given that Marc and Nath are shown sitting together at the beginning of Frozer, so at this point I don't care. I just want to write about them dancing and rhyming.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Most of the class had already gotten away, but left with nowhere to hide and surrounded by pink statues, Nathaniel stood frozen in place. He couldn’t run. Couldn’t move. It was like he’d already been transformed into a statue, despite the fact that Frightingale had already left to go after Ladybug and Chat Noir. </p>
<p>He glanced around slightly, but there really was nowhere to go besides ducking behind one of the other statues, none of which were large enough to cover himself despite his tiny frame. And unfortunately, the direction in which Frightingale went was also the direction of Nathaniel’s house and the school, leaving no safe building that he could think of on such short notice. So all he had left to do was to stay in place.</p>
<p>“There’s someone! Well, it’s <em> showtime!</em>” A high-pitched voice cried, and immediately after, a bright pink light enveloped Nathaniel’s whole body. He groaned internally, knowing what was coming up next. So he was going to turn into a statue after all. “All you have to do is sing, dance, or rhyme.”</p>
<p>He turned, meeting Frightingale’s angry gaze and slasher-esque smile. Where were Ladybug and Chat Noir?</p>
<p>
  <em> Sing, dance, or rhyme…  </em>
</p>
<p>“I—I can’t rhyme.” he confessed. “And I can’t dance.”</p>
<p>His hand stiffened, transforming into a solid pink metal. The metal crept up his arm, reaching his elbow just as Frightingale burst out in unhinged laughter. His only hope was that the heroes would undo the damage she caused and he’d be okay, though he knew how it might end up being a traumatizing memory.</p>
<p>“Yes you can!” another voice cried. A hand slipped into his untransformed one and clenched tightly, intertwining his fingers with their own. “Just give it a chance!”</p>
<p>The metal on his arm receded.</p>
<p>Nathaniel turned his head sharply, only to be face-to-face with his boyfriend, Marc. The other boy’s lips formed a small smile and he squeezed Nathaniel’s hand tightly, which sent a sense of comfort and relief through Nathaniel’s mind. </p>
<p>However, just as the metal disappeared, it started to grow back on his fingertips. Marc noticed, and his eyes filled with panic. He took Nathaniel’s other hand, clasping the rapidly growing metal tightly, and started to step back and forth, like a slow dance.</p>
<p>Oh…<em>d</em><em>ance</em>.</p>
<p>Nathaniel mimicked his steps, moving his untouched hand to Marc’s waist and keeping the metallic one in their grasp. Following suit, Marc placed his hand on Nathaniel’s shoulder, and now they were in a better position to be dancing. They continued to step in unison, forming a sort of rhythm. </p>
<p>“You boys think you’re clever, don’t you?” Frightingale cried out, voice shrieking with rage. “Let’s see how easy it is when there’s two of you!”</p>
<p>And just as before, a pink glow appeared around Marc’s body. He took a deep breath, clearly panicking, but even though Nathaniel still didn’t know him all that well, Marc seemed like he was attempting to mask his fear with false courage. And just watching that gave Nathaniel a sense of pride on behalf of his boyfriend. </p>
<p>“You really think I can’t rhyme?” Marc announced, eyes narrowed and mouth set in determination. He continued to follow the dance steps, keeping his hand clenched on Nathaniel’s shoulder. “I’m a writer; I do it all the time.”</p>
<p>Frightingale just sneered, then ran off, likely to go find Ladybug and Chat Noir. But that wasn’t the end, obviously. Marc and Nathaniel were still forced to dance and rhyme or else be transformed into the statues that surrounded them. And even staying quiet and dancing together wasn’t enough, as Nathaniel noticed their clutched hands starting to become metallic pink. So they had to start talking about something.</p>
<p>“Good job, she’s finally gone.” Nathaniel said. He searched his brain for a rhyming word, then finally came up with, “Until the heroes defeat her, we need to hang on.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, to not be statues we’ll need to talk and wait.” Marc agreed. “And don’t worry, your rhymes are great.”</p>
<p>The metal faded again, and despite the pink glow surrounding the two of them, both seemed more or less at ease. He wouldn’t admit it, but Nathaniel had become desperately thankful for the comfort of Marc’s presence in the moment; he knew that if he hadn’t been saved last minute he likely would’ve just given up and let himself become a statue. He’d needed someone to push him into trying to step outside his comfort zone, and when it came to words, Marc was that someone.</p>
<p>Marc kept his eyes focused on Nathaniel’s. “There’s something about this situation we can’t overlook: we could put a villain like her in our comic book.”</p>
<p>“Oh, that idea is really good!” Nathaniel insisted, nodding to cement his point even through the fear that he wouldn’t be able to come up with a rhyme eventually. Despite what Marc had said before and even with that push, he knew in his heart that he wasn’t good with words and language arts at all. “Uh…the heroes would defeat her though; I know they would.”</p>
<p>Another rhyme done. Another close call. </p>
<p>Marc grinned. “Yeah, she’s not nearly as powerful as her precursor. Though I’m biased since that one was Reverser.”</p>
<p>“Wow, you were able to rhyme that name? You’re pretty skilled at this…word game.”</p>
<p>“Hey, that was a good choice for a rhyme. You’ll have to write poetry with me sometime.”</p>
<p>Feeling slightly bolder, Nathaniel took a step backwards and lifted their tightly grasped hands in the air, giving Marc the opportunity to spin. He did, giggling slightly. And they were moving together, closer and closer, the pink glows radiating off their bodies intersecting. </p>
<p>“It’s been fun for us to dance. Though I wish it were under a better circumstance.” Marc told him, moving his free hand to give his boyfriend a sort of odd hug. Nathaniel returned the hug with his free hand, though not pausing in their dance, which now appeared like some sort of distorted waltz. They really weren’t skilled in dancing, not that they minded. As long as they were moving in at least a dance-like way and rhyming, they’d be fine. </p>
<p>“Yeah, I wish so too. But at least I’m here with you.” </p>
<p>And no longer than a few seconds afterwards, the wave of bright red ladybugs flooded the area, transforming everyone back from their statue forms and making the pink glow around the boys fade out to nothingness. As if they read each other’s minds, both Marc and Nathaniel stopped dancing and took a seat on the sidewalk. Nathaniel’s feet ached and his brain was fried from coming up with rhymes, but somehow he was happier than he’d been in ages. As if it hadn’t been a horrific, near fatal-transformation experience, and it was instead a sort of first date. </p>
<p>“Thanks for coming to save me.” he told Marc, taking the writer’s hand in his own. They’d been holding hands to dance so long that it just felt like second nature now. “And thanks for being my writer, even in situations like this.”</p>
<p>“You’re welcome, of course. And thanks for being my artist. When there’s a villain that needs to be defeated with the power of drawing, I’ll be relying on you.”</p>
<p>“I’ll be there; it’s only fair.” Nathaniel laughed, his hair falling in his face. “I’m still rhyming, aren’t I?”</p>
<p>“Wow, you are. Maybe you’re a secret poet. Are you sure you don’t want to be the writer in our relationship?”</p>
<p>“Nah, I’ll leave that to you. You’re way better at it.”</p>
<p>And later, after everything had been cleared up and everyone recovered from the akuma attack, they were asked if they both wanted to be in Clara Nightingale’s music video as extras.  Despite having danced so long, they said yes. After all, the whole thing was choreographed, so it was a lot easier. And it sounded fun.</p>
<p>As long as they didn’t have to rhyme, of course.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Party Crasher pt. 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>How come Marc and Nath were so late to the party at Adrien's? This is why.</p><p>They were in Party Crasher a lot so this one's two parts.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A loud ringing cut through the ethereal haze.</p><p>Flinching at the sudden shock to the status quo, Nathaniel let his eyes slowly flutter open, letting his dream world slip away and taking in the scene of the room he was actually in. It seemed to be the middle of the morning, with the sun’s rays streaming through his slightly open curtains. He was currently lying on top of his bed, his left side far warmer than his right. And when he looked to see the reason for this, his drowsy confusion melted into joy at seeing his sleeping boyfriend curled up against his side, his lips frozen in a tranquil smile. </p><p>Right, Marc had come over earlier, but they’d decided to cuddle before working on their comic. And that soon turned into taking a short nap.</p><p>And then…that ringing again.</p><p>Now a little more awake, Nathaniel glanced around for the source, and was relieved to find that it was just his phone. The lockscreen informed him that Nino was calling, so he swiped, opening the video chat. Nino was standing outside of a building, looking vaguely confused. Behind him, Max and Kim were talking, and Ivan seemed to be trying to see what Nino was doing. </p><p>“Dude, where are you? I’ve called you three times!”</p><p>Nathaniel blinked. “I'm at my house?”</p><p>“But what about going to Adrien’s?” Nino asked, adjusting his headphones around his neck. “Did you forget about the party? The guys and I are already here!” He paused. “Oh, do you know where Marc is? He’s not answering the phone.”</p><p>“Oh right, Adrien! And Marc, uh…” Nathaniel hesitated, ducking out of the line of the camera to glance down at his still-asleep boyfriend. Marc’s phone must’ve been off while they were sleeping. He reached down and shook Marc’s shoulder lightly, then took the writer’s hand and kissed the back of it. Marc didn’t stir though, only curling further towards Nathaniel’s side. Still, Nino was waiting for an answer, and leaving him waiting when it was Nathaniel’s fault he fell asleep wasn’t exactly kind. “He’s right here. We were working on our comic book and fell asleep.”</p><p>“Aww.” Ivan spoke up, smiling.</p><p>“Yeah, you guys are sweet. Still dude, you gotta get to Adrien’s so he feels supported.” Nino insisted, though based on his expression, he seemed to feel bad for having them leave. “We’re gonna tell them you’ll show up soon, okay?”</p><p>“Thanks Nino, sorry for the trouble.”</p><p>Marc cuddled closer, throwing an arm over Nathaniel’s chest, and it was all the artist could do to avoid melting into near-sobs at how cute his boyfriend was. And when he opened his eyes, bright emerald eyes framed by soft lashes, Nathaniel met his gaze, unable to keep from breaking into a grin.</p><p>“Nath—?” Marc asked, his voice cut off by a light yawn. “What’s going on?”</p><p>“Nino’s calling. I think we overslept, and now we have to get to Adrien’s party.” Nathaniel reached down to grab Marc’s hand. The writer in return met his grin, then moved so that their faces were only centimeters apart. </p><p>From the phone, Nino called out, “Hey Marc!”</p><p>Nathaniel angled the phone so that Nino could see the both of them, even though he still couldn’t prevent the background worry that he’d be teased about the way they’d fallen asleep together. But their class was really welcoming of the LGBT+ community, and the boys had been more than supportive about both his bisexuality and his relationship with his comic book partner. </p><p>“Hi.” Marc replied, still slurring his words due to his half-asleep state. “Sorry, we didn’t mean to be a problem…we were writing and drawing really late last night…” </p><p>“You’re good, dude! Just get over here as soon as you can.”</p><p>“We will.” Nathaniel promised. “Just give us a few minutes.”</p><p>“Cool, see you guys there!”</p><p>As soon as he hung up, Marc closed his eyes again, clutching Nathaniel’s hand like he was going to lose him if he let go. Nathaniel watched him with subtle amusement for a moment, then leaned forward and lightly kissed his cheek to wake him back up.</p><p>“Nath—” Marc mumbled, burying his face into his boyfriend’s neck. </p><p>As sweet as it was, and it was definitely enough to set his heart fluttering madly, Nathaniel didn’t want to disappoint the rest of his class. He was already sort of the token loner of the group, but he’d been invited anyway, so he wanted to prove he’d actually show up. “I know, but we have to go to Adrien’s.” </p><p>“Oh yeah…thanks for inviting me, though. I know it’s a thing for your class…” </p><p>“Of course! And I keep telling you to transfer—”</p><p>“You’d be too distracted in class if I joined.” Marc muttered, his voice muffled by the pillow. “You’re already too busy drawing, then getting your sketchbook taken away by Mme. Mendeleiv. Don’t make <em> me </em> part of the problem.”</p><p>“You’re mean.”</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>Nathaniel gently placed a hand on the side of Marc’s head and stroked his hair, torn between wanting to get up and wanting to stay there forever. Still, knowing his friends were counting on him made the first win. “C’mon Marc, let’s head out.”</p><p>Marc finally lifted his head, his eyes half-closed and hair mussed, and gave an exhausted thumbs-up. This caused Nathaniel to immediately break into laughter, and soon they were both giggling together, clinging to one another and eventually bringing their faces closer and kissing until they both realized just <em> how </em> late they were going to be.</p><p>And when they finally showed up to Adrien’s house and joined the other five boys, neither mentioned what they’d been doing, but the others seemed to know, more or less. At least it looked that way, judging by the small smiles that were given whenever they talked about working together…or going on a date…or their plans to put their comic book characters in a relationship…  </p><p>Being late to a party together was obvious enough, but man, they weren’t subtle, were they?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Party Crasher pt. 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This one turned out a little more angsty than intended, oops.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Marc couldn’t move, frozen in fear staring at the akuma. It looked kind of ridiculous, with disco balls instead of hands and a matching pink afro and mustache. But the akuma had just made a whole couch of people disappear by only touching it, and Marc feared the same fate for himself. He’d been turned into a statue or into a replica of an akuma before, but just disappearing entirely? His stomach tossed at the thought.</p><p>A hand slipped into his. Then pulling, a silent plea for Marc to run. He did so blindly, hardly aware of his surroundings. Everything seemed hazy and unfamiliar, like when slipping back from unconsciousness. </p><p>As soon as he was outside Adrien’s room, hands cupped his face, bringing him back to the reality of the situation. “Are you okay?” Nathaniel demanded, his face filled with worry and panic. </p><p>“A—a lot just h-happened.”</p><p>“I know. C’mon, let’s go.” He took Marc’s hand again, and when noticing the resistance, added, “And I promise that I’ll stay with you. Okay?”</p><p>Marc nodded, clinging to his hand with all the strength he could muster.</p><p>And from behind the two, the party-based akuma made it through the now-missing doors. The few remaining stragglers attempted to make it away, though several found themselves caught immediately. Then the akuma turned his attention onto Marc and Nathaniel.</p><p>The two boys broke into a run, dashing through Adrien’s dark hallways and down the marble staircase, their shoes pounding the whole way towards the door, towards freedom. Vaguely, Marc was aware of Adrien and Marinette behind the two of them, but he paid no mind, stumbling through the house like his life depended on it. Which, it basically did.</p><p>They burst through the doorway and out into the sunlight, temporarily blinding them. Where could they go now? Home? Or—</p><p>The akuma was right behind them, his boots clacking on the marble flooring and then onto the concrete. Nathaniel pulled again, dragging both of them towards the side of the house and into the shade. Now that Marc could see properly, he let out a sigh of relief when spotting the dumpster that they could hide behind. Nathaniel seemed to notice as well, as the two of them dashed for the safety of the spot behind the dumpsters at the exact same time.</p><p>“Nath—”</p><p>Nathaniel put a finger to his lips, then wrapped his other arm around Marc’s shoulder comfortingly. Marc took another deep breath, letting his lungs fill with air and the promise of a moment’s pause. They were okay, they were safe, nothing was going to—</p><p>Nathaniel’s breathing caught. </p><p>Marc glanced up, only to come face-to-face with the akuma.</p><p>“You think you can hide from me? I can always see where you’re goin’!” the akuma exclaimed. He reached forward sharply… </p><p>“No!” Marc cried, throwing himself backwards to avoid the same fate as the other pictures on the disco balls. Nathaniel’s arm stayed clamped on his shoulder like a vise. Most of his friends were already lost, all he had now was Nathaniel and himself to rely on. Ladybug and Chat Noir would fix this, they always did…but what if they didn’t, this time? What if the akuma won? What if everyone was lost forever?</p><p>He didn’t have much time to think. The akuma stared them down for a few seconds before charging, causing Marc to duck, pulling Nathaniel with him. Of course, the akuma seemed to be able to predict this, and he reached out his arm right where they had gone.</p><p>The disco ball made contact.</p><p>A hand grasped his own. He caught one last glimpse of Nathaniel’s encouraging smile, and he weakly tried to replicate it. At least they’d spent their last few moments with one another before disappearing. At least they hadn’t been separated. At least… </p><p>As Marc felt himself fading into nothingness, as he felt himself disappearing to possibly never be seen again, only one thought was on his mind:</p><p>
  <em> At least as we’re together. </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>In the episode, we don't see them between when they run out the door right before Mari and Adrien and when their pictures are on the disco balls. Poor boys, but good thing they stayed together.</p><p>Also, when all the original boys were cleaning Adrien's house in the episode, Marc is nowhere to be seen. Did he just....leave?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Evillustrator</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I know Marc never had canonically spoken to Evillustrator (and I know Marc as a character didn't exist then lol), but there was a lot of time between the fight in the library and Evillustrator's date. Who knows what happened then?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Marc leaned against the railing of the bridge, letting the wind catch his hair and toss it back. When he opened his eyes, he could see the disparity in the sky’s lighting, which had become a swirling canvas of warm colors. Few clouds dotted the horizon.</p><p>No one noticed him or seemed to care that he was there, which was just as well for him. He didn’t like to be noticed by many people, especially strangers. All he wanted was inspiration for his writer’s block, which had stubbornly refused to break after almost a week, and he figured that Paris’ horizon was as good of place as any. </p><p>The bridge was unusually quiet for that time of day, even on a school night. Absentmindedly, Marc knew that the lack of people could likely be attributed to the earlier reports of a new akuma that hadn’t been caught yet, but that wasn’t exactly high on his list of things to think about. He just wanted a story idea, nothing more.</p><p>“Beautiful night.”</p><p>Marc jumped, startled at the new voice that’d interrupted his train of thought. Not that he was to assume the person was talking to him, but the voice was so close and so sudden that he unconsciously looked.</p><p>And when he saw the speaker, it was like a punch to the gut.</p><p>It was a guy that Marc hadn’t seen before, but something about him seemed familiar in a way. And that was where the normalcy ended, giving way to a mixture of color and aesthetic that seemed artistic yet chaotic. Enthralling and hostile. This must’ve been the akuma that was mentioned earlier, Marc reasoned. Why else would someone dress like that?</p><p>He stared Marc in the eye, as if he wanted a response.</p><p>Had he actually been talking to Marc? Akumas could get emotional quite easily, and Marc wasn’t about to test this one’s patience. Ladybug and Chat Noir seemed to be nowhere nearby, and as much as Marc was aware of the fact that they could probably bring him back if he died, the horrific idea of being killed by this akuma was more than enough to provoke a polite response.</p><p>“Y-yes it is.” Marc stammered, clutching his journal closer to his chest.</p><p>The akuma wasn’t satisfied by this end to their conversation, though, and he moved closer to the bridge. “I think I have a date tonight. She never clarified if she was going to show up, but I hope she does. It would be a good ending to a pretty traumatic day.”</p><p>“A date?” Marc asked, now genuinely curious. Most akumas seemed to just want revenge or to get something they’d lost. And they definitely didn’t remain for this long, as the akuma alert had gone off right after school. And yet here was the akuma, and he apparently had a date that evening. Weird that Hawkmoth was allowing this, as he didn’t seem to be one for negotiations. </p><p>The akuma leaned against the railing, and now Marc could pick out a pen clenched in his left hand and a drawing tablet affixed to his right arm. Fitting, matching the akuma’s whole artistic theme, from the beret resting on his mess of red-purple hair to a logo-esque symbol of the RYB color model on his chest. He also was several centimeters shorter than Marc, which would have been amusing had the context not been what it was. A slight grin crossed his face, though it faded as quickly as it had arrived. “Well, it’s my birthday.”</p><p>“Happy birthday.”</p><p>The akuma’s eyes flicked towards him. “You’re the first to say that, thank you.”</p><p>Marc internally let out a sigh of relief. That one act of kindness, no matter how small, might’ve saved him from having something terrible done to him. He wasn’t about to question how dangerous an art-based villain could be, either. The tablet seemed to have a setting for erasing, and the fear of being erased from existence was the only thing keeping Marc where he was and not running as far away as he could get.</p><p>“You’re welcome. I hope your date shows up.”</p><p>“As do I. She’s the most wonderful person I’ve ever met.” He then laughed to himself, almost sounding more unhinged than humored. “My apologies for catching you off-guard; you seem like a nice person and I didn’t mean to scare you.”</p><p>“N-no, it’s okay. You’re a lot less scary than some of the other akumas.” Which was far from the truth; Marc just didn’t want to show any fear. Then again, the way he was talking to kindly and openly was unusual enough to hold Marc’s fear back, at least a little. But some sort of strange feeling remained, as Marc learned when a flutter shot through his heart. </p><p>What was <em> that? </em></p><p>Marc bit his lip. The longer he looked at the akuma, the longer his heart burned. If the person in front of him wasn’t an evil villain working for Hawkmoth…would Marc have <em> liked </em> him? Ugh, yes, that was it. Unlike a lot of the other far more garish and violent akumas, this one was charismatic, romantic, and—he hated to admit it—<em>attractive</em>.</p><p>Just that thought alone sent Marc’s cheeks burning. Surely he was the only one in all of Paris who’d found one of the akumas good-looking and not just a source of fear. So right away he decided that this was a secret he was taking to his grave. </p><p>“Am I? Well, nice to meet you. I’m known as the Evillustrator.”</p><p>“I’m Marc. Marc Anciel.” And hearing the akuma’s strange name had a jarring aura, one that Marc didn’t want to dwell on. It had reminded him that this wasn’t a celebrity crush or something, this was a <em> villain</em>, and he could be painfully in danger at any moment. Which just added to the fear, prompting Marc to try and make his escape. “If you don’t mind, I think I’m expected at home soon.”</p><p>He held his breath, awaiting the response be it good or bad.</p><p>“I don’t mind at all. It was nice to talk with you, Marc Anciel.” The Evillustrator caught his eye, then his smile widened slightly. His gaze was cutting, less like he was watching Marc and making sure he wasn’t going to run, and more like he just wanted to observe. But to be on good terms with the current akuma while in his presence…that was more than Marc could ask for, which made him smile back. </p><p>And oddly enough, Marc almost didn’t want to leave. He didn’t exactly want to stay where he could be in danger, but he also felt drawn to the akuma whose idea of a date that may or may not actually turn up was the only birthday celebration he was going to have. It was like a form of pity.</p><p>That, and…the <em> secret</em>.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Several weeks later, Marc glanced over page after page of the school website, searching for information about his classmate’s promotion. He’d been told that Aurore Beaureal had become one of the KIDZ+ interns and that as a member of the class, he should go to the page and leave kind comments. Which is what he was attempting to do, but the “Students’ Achievements” page seemed to be a mess, with a page of links rather than a simple format.</p><p>He clicked on his fifth link, hoping for this one to finally be Aurore’s. But it wasn’t, just a collection of drawings done by one of the students. Disappointed, Marc prepared to click off and try another link. But before he could, something caught his eye.</p><p>One of the pictures was a fight, and he of course recognized Ladybug and Chat Noir, the heroes of Paris. But fighting alongside them was another familiar face, one that Marc had attempted to block out of his mind as soon as he arrived back to his house in shock.</p><p>The Evillustrator.</p><p>Marc quickly scrolled through the rest of the page, skimming all of the drawings. The drawings themselves were fantastic, with dynamic poses, sharp lines, and realistic anatomy and shading. Most featured the Louvre, while others held other famous Parisian landmarks. Many akumas that Marc had seen before made an appearance, anyone from Stormy Weather to Lady Wifi. And obviously on the heroes’ side was the Evillustrator, drawing with his pen on his tablet. He had to admit, even if he didn’t want to, the way the artist drew him almost made the villain more attractive.</p><p>And then, at the bottom of the page, was a short summary of the drawings. </p><p>And a picture of the artist.</p><p>Stumbling backwards, Marc covered his mouth in shock when he recognized the face staring back at him. The artist in question was one of the students in Mrs. Bustier’s class, someone that he’d seen talking with a few of his classmates before. He didn’t know the artist’s name, though it had to be listed somewhere. And sure enough, after looking a little more closely, Marc could pick out the line: “All images above created by resident student Nathaniel Kurtzberg”.</p><p>
  <em> Nathaniel Kurtzberg. </em>
</p><p>And now Marc could place the familiarity when looking at Evillustrator. Because Evillustrator, Nathaniel Kurtzberg, and the artist of these incredible drawings were all the same person. </p><p>He blinked, still processing. He’d spoken to Nathaniel-as-the-Evillustrator, not that the artist would remember anything from their encounter. Aurore didn’t remember being Stormy Weather after all, and it seemed common to forget. So no longer would Marc run into the villain who knew him by name and spilled the secrets of his crush and planned date. Why had he done that? Did he simply just want to talk to someone, or was it something more? Why had no one else celebrated Nathaniel’s birthday? Was Marc actually the only one to say something? Was the school-famous artist Nathaniel Kurtzberg secretly lonelier than he seemed to let on?</p><p>Marc rubbed his head. Too many questions.</p><p>And then he opened his journal and began to write the story of a villain-turned-good, fighting alongside the heroes that had defeated him not too long ago. A now-hero who was propelled by guilt, ambition, and a bit of romance. The story that would just be an aside compared to the beautiful art that inspired it.</p><p>What a relief that he never planned to show it to Nathaniel himself.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Four chapters in and I'm already breaking the "background" part of the title lol</p><p>But I'll definitely still be doing ones that follow that pattern, I just got a bit of writers block on the one I was planning to do next. Hopefully you still like this one, even if it's a little different.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Catalyst/Mayura</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>All hell had broken loose.</p><p>And the day had been going so perfectly before! The Heroes’ Day celebration, which had been planned for months, was exactly as planned for the most part. The parade was fully in session. The city was alight in excitement. And on top of it all, Marinette had invited their whole class to a picnic.</p><p>But now…now Chat Noir was dead. Ladybug had been akumatized. And a swarm of bright red butterflies had been released across the city. Mme. Bustier’s class was all in the courtyard at the time, watching the horror unfold in front of them. </p><p>Nathaniel could only stare in shock, watching as his friends were overtaken by the mass of akumas, transforming into their evil forms, drenched in scarlet. Alix herself became Timebreaker once again, clenching her fists, her lethal touch, with a dangerous glint in her eye. Juleka got away, she was able to stay brave…but Nathaniel couldn’t move, couldn’t think, couldn’t even tear his eyes away from the scene. The akumas stormed the building, flying closer…closer…  </p><p>Before he could flinch, one of the akumas faded into his Heroes’ Day pin.</p><p>And when Evillustrator re-emerged, his anger overwhelmed his form, filling him with the desire to to find Hawkmoth, to serve him, to absolutely destroy the rest of the heroes before they could make their next move…</p><p>Hawkmoth. Hawkmoth was the priority. He was at the Eiffel Tower, and all Evillustrator had to do was make his way over there and use his ingenious and unique abilities to help steal the miraculouses, to pay the city back for the fear that had been instilled in him. </p><p>Eyes narrowed, lips curled into a sinister smile, he stalked his way down one of the back hallways, pen pressed to his tablet.</p><p>What should he draw first?</p><p>Ideas flooded his mind, ranging anywhere from transportation to weaponry. What would cause damage to those who caused his fear, his horror? What would help his side succeed the quickest?</p><p>But something edged at the back of his mind, something that he couldn’t ignore. It wasn’t a thought or an idea, but rather a sort of faint reminder. Like a goal he should’ve remembered but couldn’t. Like a goal that he should take into consideration before acting upon his akuma impulses. </p><p>What <em> was </em> it?</p><p>Akumas rushed down the hallway, causing Evillustrator to step to the side to avoid being whacked by Horrificator’s tail and Stormy Weather’s umbrella. When they’d passed, he kept walking, though now he was entirely distracted by what he could be missing. His anger kept trying to overwhelm his mind, but the thought remained. </p><p>When he’d been akumatized, most of Nathaniel’s needs became a non-issue. But one thing remained, one thing that he couldn’t seem to shake no matter how much he tried to brush the thought aside and focus on what to draw. And the latter really was the priority. Perhaps this time he’d try out one of the various schemes he’d created in the comic books he produced now. </p><p>Comic book…</p><p>Marc!</p><p>Sharply turning on his heel, he dashed towards the classroom he knew Marc would be in. Hawkmoth could wait. His boyfriend was so much more important at the moment. What if one of the akumas had taken Marc as a hostage? Or hurt him? Or even killed him? Evillustrator shuddered as the reality sank in. What was a world formed to his liking if Marc wasn’t there to share it with him? He would destroy and reform the whole world just to make Marc happy, and he wanted him to know it.</p><p>But when he paused at the classroom door, his heart sank. The whole room was evacuated and Marc was nowhere to be seen. He could be <em> anywhere </em> and by the time Evillustrator found him, it could be too late…and Hawkmoth would of course be furious. </p><p>The artist clenched his teeth, feeling the sense of defeat washing over him.</p><p>“Evillustrator.” </p><p>The voice from down the hallway startled him, causing him to whip around to see who’d spoken. And he was met face-to-face with another akuma. All black and red, from his origami-like boots to the hood that covered his dichromatic hair and face.  When the two akumas met each other’s gaze, his half-and-half lips parted briefly, and his eyes, one scarlet and one dark, widened upon seeing Evillustrator.</p><p>“Reverser.”</p><p>Neither moved for a moment, just watching the other. Thoughts flew through the artist’s head, how he didn’t need to find Marc now, how the last time he’d seen Reverser in person he was filled with fear but now he wasn’t, how Reverser looked so <em>good</em> in red… </p><p>He broke the eye contact, his face flushing. </p><p>“Everyone’s at the Eiffel Tower.” Reverser spoke, narrowing his eyes a little. “Are we going?”</p><p>And a few moments ago he would’ve said yes, would’ve joined the rest of his evilized class in helping Hawkmoth with their combined powers to take over the city. That was the original goal, after all. He was angry, he was upset, he wanted revenge. But something took over, persuading him to shake his head and say, “Could I persuade you to stay here with me instead?”</p><p>Reverser’s lips turned upward in a smile. Not the one he’d given when he was going to reverse Nathaniel, his plan moments from succeeding, but a genuine smile. Like his horror had been overcome by the excitement over running into the Evillustrator. And a little rebellion in choosing his boyfriend over Hawkmoth.</p><p>“I think you could.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I didn't see either of them as villains in either ep, so let's just say they were together. They're both a little rebellious as villains anyway, so I think it'd be in character.</p><p>This one might also get a part 2, but I'm not totally sure yet.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Reverser</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>"background" and here I am with the episode that's literally about them</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The villain had been defeated, and the city was free from the looming threat of the trash hurtling towards the Earth. And now, after a mutual understanding passed between them, the boys had found their own peace as well, Nathaniel meeting Marc’s now-sweet gaze with a smile, clutching the hand that had been placed in his own. </p><p>After Ladybug and Chat Noir left the scene, Nathaniel glanced to the side, noting the journal he had ripped earlier—how could he have been so <em> stupid?</em>—and dropped his hand from Marc’s to give it to him. Marc inhaled sharply, causing Nathaniel to glance up, only to see the writer’s expression fall.</p><p>“No, no!” Nathaniel was quick to say. “I’m just…sorry.” He reached down, picked up the newly repaired journal, and handed it over to the other boy. Marc’s face lit up again, his eyes flicking to meet Nathaniel’s. Those beautiful green eyes… </p><p>“Oh. Thank you.” Marc took the journal, running his fingers lightly over it. “It’s fixed.”</p><p>“Yeah, Ladybug always fixes things.” Nathaniel said, nervousness tingeing his voice even as he tried to smile. Nathaniel twisted his fingers, attempting to not let his fear show. Why couldn’t he be more bold? “Hey Marc?”</p><p>Marc glanced up from his journal in his sharp, jittery way. “Y-yeah?”</p><p>“I’m so sorry I hurt you. I was a jerk and made an assumption, but that’s not an excuse for what I did. I’d understand if you don’t want to work with me ever again, but if you want…I’d love to work on that comic book with you?”</p><p>Clutching his journal to his chest, Marc stammered, “R-really? But no, you wouldn’t want to work with me, I’m just—I’m not—” He took a deep breath before continuing. “Are you sure you want me? Ah! I mean, you want me to be your—your writer?”</p><p>Nathaniel placed his hand on Marc’s, which was still holding onto the journal. The close proximity of the two sent his heart beating madly, but he ignored it to the best of his ability. “Yes, I’d love for you to be my writer! You’re so talented, and I really really like the stories you’ve written.”</p><p>“Oh! Thanks. But uh…you don’t understand.”</p><p>“I understand, I—”</p><p>“No, Nathaniel.” Marc handed his journal back towards the artist. “I…I want to be upfront with you. Because bad communication is what messed us up last time, and—”</p><p>“No, Marc! It was my fault, all my fault.” Nathaniel insisted, shoving the journal back. “You didn’t do anything wrong, you just wanted to talk to me, and I blew it. I’m surprised you even want to be <em> around </em> me now—” </p><p>“Y-yeah…but I have something I have to say, and it might change your mind…” </p><p>Nathaniel nodded, prompting him to talk. He wasn’t going to react out of emotion this time, he was just going to listen. But he couldn’t possibly fathom anything Marc would say that would change his mind on how he felt.</p><p>“I…” Marc trailed off, his hands shaking as he clasped them together, keeping the journal near his heart. He breathed deeply, his eyes gently fluttering shut and then open again. “I have a crush on you…”  </p><p>Nathaniel met his eyes, inhaling sharply with realization. Realization of himself.</p><p><em> That </em> was why he’d been so upset when he thought Marc tricked him. <em> That </em> was why he was so desperate to make it up to the writer, to prove that he could be good for him. <em> That </em> was why he couldn’t keep his eyes off Marc’s wavy raven hair, his emerald eyes, his soft pink lips… </p><p>This was the way he’d felt about Marinette. This was the way he’d felt about Ladybug.</p><p>He hadn’t been able to place his emotions before, but from the moment Marc had walked into Room 33, he’d remained fixed in Nathaniel’s mind. Not only as a writer, a comic book partner, but in a different way. He was definitely Nathaniel’s type, a gentle and kind force to be reckoned with, and he had a knack for creativity. Unknowingly, Nathaniel had first experienced that rush, that feeling of intense connection the moment Marc had first spoken to him and met his gaze. </p><p>He had a crush on Marc.</p><p>“I-I’m so sorry.” Marc muttered, covering his face. “I’ll just—”</p><p>“No!”</p><p>Nathaniel hadn't realized he was speaking. But he did realize that the shout had come from him when Marc turned sharply, dropping his hands to reveal his face, flushed bright red. Closing the gap between the two, Nathaniel gently reached for Marc’s hand once again, and the writer reluctantly took it, still not meeting his eyes. </p><p>“Marc, I like you too!”</p><p>As he comprehended the words spoken, Marc raised his head, eyes widened and lips parted ever so slightly. Shock crossed his face. “You…you do? But…?”</p><p>Nathaniel nodded, hoping desperately that he came off as sincere enough. He absolutely hated the thought that Marc was ashamed of his feelings. Hated that Marc’s shame might be his fault. “I know that we just met and this is pretty quick, and I know I really messed up before, but if you want to, we could try being…being together? Only if you want, of course.”</p><p>And then, Marc’s hand tightened around Nathaniel’s, causing them to meet each others’ eyes with identical smiles. Centimeters apart. And then closer.</p><p>He didn’t need an answer. He knew what Marc’s response was.</p><p>And it set his heart alight.</p><p>Nathaniel continued, rambling now. “I can’t believe someone liked my art enough to write stories…or liked Mightyillustrator enough to write about him.” A thought crossed his mind. “If you’d like…we can add Reverser to the comic book too? I understand if it’s too soon, though…”  </p><p>Nodding, Marc glanced up, his eyes meeting Nathaniel’s again. Those soft lashes, that emerald green… “We can add him. And I meant what I said about your art before…it’s incredible.” </p><p>“<em>You’re </em> incredible.” Nathaniel blurted.</p><p>Marc’s face flushed again, his breath catching. “N-no, you are…”</p><p>“No, that’s definitely you. Do you want to go get coffee or ice cream or something? As much as I’d like to stand around the Eiffel Tower, we’ve been here awhile, and I owe you a lot, so I’ll start making it up to you by paying for whatever you’d like.”</p><p>Marc grinned. “Yeah. I’d like that.”</p><p>They walked off into the city, hands still firmly clasped together. Nathaniel’s heart still burned, still ached with the guilt over what he’d done, but for now, he was with Marc, someone who genuinely reciprocated his feelings. Someone who was practically an angel by forgiving him. Someone who was beautiful and talented and clever and the exact type of person Nathaniel had always wanted in his life. Marc’s gloved hand was warm against Nathaniel’s own, ethereal sunlight reflected off his raven hair, a soft smile remained secure on his lips. Nathaniel couldn’t even begin to describe how lucky he felt.</p><p>And with that, they became partners. In both meanings of the word.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I keep trying to write the Gamer 2.0 one, but then I keep getting ideas for other ones, so that's why here's one for an episode where they definitely weren't background lol. Unfortunately, school's taking up a lot of my time, so I probably won't post these as regularly as before.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Frozer</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Journal held so the both could see, Marc gazed dreamily down at the collaboration that he’d never expected to happen. His chicken scratch writing mixed with Nathaniel’s sketches littered the pages, shaping ideas that would hopefully someday become comic book issues. Marc awkwardly adjusted his posture, stretching his arms and desperately hoping that he wasn’t holding the journal weirdly, that his handwriting could be understood, that Nathaniel could even <em> see </em> the pages… </p><p>It was a rather relaxing morning before school, and everyone seemed to be spending it with those they cared about: Juleka and Rose listened to music together, Alya excitedly told Nino about her new post on the Ladyblog, Mylene pulled Ivan along through the courtyard, and—was that Adrien approaching Marinette? Still, despite being one of Marinette’s close friends, Marc was satisfied with where he was, mere centimeters from his boyfriend and working on the art partnership he’d dreamed of for so long.</p><p>Next to him, Nathaniel sighed contentedly, resting his head in his hands. He shifted closer, angling his knees so he was nearly touching the other’s. Marc shifted his eyes to see the artist’s face, but Nathaniel’s gaze was fixed on the page in front of him, reading though the various ideas. </p><p>This page was just some information about their main characters, written and drawn so neither of the creators would forget any details. Ladybug and Chat Noir had their fact lists and design references, however minimal, but Mightyillustrator and Reverser had far more information, ranging from powers and costumes to headcanons and other tiny pieces of information that would never make it into the actual comic. Marc still stared with a strange mixture of pride and awe over having Reverser be placed alongside Mightyillustrator, the character he’d written about for so long, as a teammate, a partner. Then again, the same was true for himself and Nathaniel.</p><p>“Next?” Marc asked softly, barely moving his lips. Nathaniel nodded. </p><p>The writer flipped the page, then froze. The image in front of him wasn’t at all what he’d expected. When Nathaniel had asked to borrow his journal for an evening, he hadn’t expected him to actually <em> add </em> stuff to it. Of course it wasn’t a problem! Once they’d become comic book partners, Marc had readily offered his journal to be used for a joint brainstorming location, where they could both collect their ideas for the other to see. So it was Nathaniel's journal now too, free for him to add as many sketches as he pleased. But Marc just hadn’t expected a sketch like this… </p><p>Nathaniel was glancing up at him now. Was he waiting for a reaction? His aquamarine gaze like a stormy coastal sky filled with gentle patience. And when he realized Marc had met his gaze, he looked back down, his cheeks flushing ever so slightly.</p><p>Marc ran his fingers over the drawing, cringing as his gentle touch smeared a bit of the pencil lead. Nathaniel always worked so hard on his drawings, even the sketches that he claimed only took a few minutes, and this one was no different. Marc would be such a jerk for ruining it, however accidentally.</p><p>But Nathaniel didn’t seem to be worried about that so much as he was staring down at the drawing too, his breathing having staggered slightly enough that only Marc could tell. He was waiting for a response, <em> why hadn’t Marc responded? </em></p><p>Because he didn’t know how to express just how much it meant to him.</p><p>“This…” Marc attempted, shaking his head as if to start himself over. “Did you want us to put them together in our comic?” His voice sped up, rambling now to keep himself from overthinking. “We can! If you want, of course. If it’s just a sketch, I understand, but if you want them to be together…”</p><p>Nathaniel brushed his bangs out of his vision, a smile crossing his lips as he turned his head to face Marc.  “Yeah, I do.” he said, reaching out a hand to rest on the side of Marc’s face. The writer in question couldn’t move, couldn’t do anything other than blush furiously. “And if it’s okay with you, could we start setting up the relationship in the next issue?”</p><p>“Yeah.” Marc breathed, placing his hand on Nathaniel’s. “Let’s do that.”</p><p>Nathaniel grinned, quickly covering half his bright red face with his free hand. It was still so far beyond Marc how he even had the ability to make Nathaniel happy like that; what did someone as shy and awkward as himself have to offer to the greatest artist he’d ever met? But the proof was right in front of him. </p><p>“Actually,” Nathaniel continued. “It’s not a great sketch, so I think I’ll rip it out and try to make a better reference one for our actual comic. Did you want to keep this one? Of course you don’t have to, but if you want…”</p><p>Marc nodded, his excited thoughts so abstract he couldn’t seem to make words. Instead, he watched with rapt attention as Nathaniel pulled his hand back, only to cleanly tear the drawing from the journal and place it in Marc’s lap.</p><p>But before Marc could say or do anything in response, Nathaniel rested his head against Marc’s shoulder, the journal abandoned beside him. His hair lightly tickled Marc’s cheeks. All the wondering over what it’d be like to have Nathaniel so close to him, the silent pining, and here he was. And even though they were dating, it still felt like being in a dream or a trance.</p><p>It’s not like Marc was complaining though, especially not when Nathaniel turned to see Marc better and murmured, “Is this okay? Did you want to keep working on the next plotline?”</p><p>“This is perfect!” Marc was quick to say. As if to prove it, he tilted his head, resting against the artist’s. His hair coal black against Nathaniel’s bright red. “And we have time. I’m okay just doing this for now.”</p><p>“Definitely.” Marc could hear the smile in his boyfriend’s voice. “Me too.”</p><p>And the light breeze picked up the sketch of Mightyillustrator pushing Reverser’s hood back and kissing him, pulling the thin paper from Marc’s lap to the stair right at their feet. Waiting for Marc to pick it up when he finally had to leave.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Still working on that Gamer 2.0 one, but this was the other one I had planned and Frozer takes place right after Reverser (I think?? Idk the official order is kinda weird) so it's fitting.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Puppeteer</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>No, I have no idea when this one takes place.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Marinette, do you ever get rid of anything?” Marc joked, tossing another wad of receipts into the open garbage bag. That was followed closely behind by a candy wrapper and some school assignments from five years ago. </p><p>Marinette rolled her eyes, holding a couple of stuffed animals that she’d found inside her closet, buried under a bunch of fabric that she’d never gotten around to making something with. “Thanks for your help, Marc.”</p><p>“Sure, no problem. It’s kind of fun, seeing all the projects you’ve worked on over the years.” And with that, Marc went back to throwing away obvious garbage while Marinette dug through her piles of clothes and stuffed toys.</p><p>It was a couple minutes before Marinette spoke again, crowing with excitement over something she’d found. Marc glanced over, watching her pull out handfuls of random…<em>things. </em> For a moment, he didn’t know what she was even talking about, but then he recognized the designs of two of them… </p><p>“Ladybug and Chat Noir dolls?”</p><p>Marinette nodded, her face lit up. “I put these away after Hawkmoth used them for one of his akumas—and then I totally forgot! But look!” She held the two up, and Marc had to admit that they were pretty cute dolls. They had little bead eyes, stitched smiles, and felt hair. “And then I have these, too—”</p><p>Marc didn’t miss the way her expression shifted when she picked up another doll, this one of Lady Wifi. Marc hadn’t been there during the Lady Wifi attack, but he knew it happened, as she was one of the only akumas that Alya didn’t have a page about featuring an in-depth analysis and interview on her Ladyblog. He’d helped make the Reverser one, really not wanting any misinformation or to make Nathaniel look bad for akumatizing him or anything. </p><p>Marinette turned to Marc, still holding the doll. “I guess it’s kind of weird I made one of the evil version of my best friend, huh?”</p><p>Marc shrugged. There wasn’t really a precedent for this kind of thing, so he had no idea how to answer. “I mean, I don’t know. You made them for that little girl you babysit, right?”</p><p>“Yeah, Manon. But that caused the problem.” Marinette twisted her fingers, glancing to the side with all the excitement she’d had before now missing. “She wanted this one, and I gave it to her even though her mom said no, so she got akumatized. And then she turned a few people back into akumas, including Alya.” She bit her lip, and Marc could sense her guilt.</p><p>“Well, that one’s mostly on Hawkmoth. But if you’re worried about it, you could give it to Alya? She might find it cool.”</p><p>Her face lit up again. “Oh, yeah! That works! And then for the others—” She dug back through the pile, then eventually pulled one of Rogercop from underneath a t-shirt. “I guess I can give this one to Sabrina? She might appreciate it, though we haven’t really been friends since the incident with Evillust—hey, that reminds me!” And then she uncovered a fifth doll, this one a child’s version of what Marc knew to be Evillustrator. “You can give it to Nath, you see him more often than I do anyway.”</p><p>Marc took the dolls from her hands, holding it tightly in his grasp. Even though it was of an akuma, it was still pretty cute, with the same smile and soft hair as the others. A couple tiny buttons were stitched in the center, forming the evil artist’s insignia, the RYB color model. It’d been a while since anyone had seen the Evillustrator active, so the doll was less scary and more cute. “I’ll make sure he gets it.”</p><p>The next day at school, Marc made sure the doll was in his backpack as he made his way to the stairs where he tended to meet Nathaniel. And sure enough, the artist was waiting there, and when he caught sight of Marc, he started waving him over with a huge grin on his face. </p><p>“I have something for you.” Marc announced upon arrival. “Well, it’s from Marinette, but she wanted me to get it to you.” And with that, he unzipped his backpack and pulled the small Evillustrator doll from inside. </p><p>“Oh, I forgot about this! Thanks!” </p><p>Then a strange look crossed Nathaniel’s face, fading before Marc could even begin to wonder what it was about. His smile had returned, so Marc just shrugged off the incident. He had to go to class soon anyway, so he just enjoyed his time with his boyfriend until the bell rang.</p><p>But the next day, Marc was the first one there, waiting on the stairs for a couple minutes before Nathaniel showed up with a suspiciously bulky backpack. He tended to only carry around a notebook for school and his sketchbook so this was new. </p><p>“Now it’s my turn to have something for you.” Nathaniel told him, sliding the backpack straps off his shoulders and placing it between them. Marc barely had time to ask before Nathaniel unzipped it, reached inside, and pulled out the very same Evillustrator doll that Marc had given him the day before. “You keep this one.”</p><p>“But—Nath?”</p><p>“It’s okay, this one’s for me.” </p><p>And when Nathaniel reached back in the backpack and pulled out another doll, Marc’s heart nearly stopped. Black and white outfit, di-colored face with tiny half-and-half lips and eyes, a triangle hood… </p><p>“I commissioned Marinette to make a Reverser one.” Nathaniel explained. “I don’t know, it might be kinda dumb, but I thought it’d be cute if we had each other’s? If not, it’s totally alright, I can keep whichever, or both—”</p><p>He was cut off by Marc throwing his arms around him. The artist seemed momentarily surprised, but was able to return the embrace. His breath was soft, his smile sweet, prompting Marc to say, “I c-can’t believe you did that…thank you so much, Nath.”</p><p>“Aw, of course. I mean, Marinette was the one who really—”</p><p>Marc lightly pressed a kiss to his boyfriend’s cheek. “Yeah, but it was <em> your </em> idea.” </p><p>“And I’m not even the idea person of this comic book team.” Nathaniel joked, reaching for Marc’s hands and returning the kiss. </p><p>And even when they moved on to working on their comic book for a bit before class began, putting together Marc’s writing with Nathaniel’s sketches that they’d done over the weekend, they left the two dolls sitting next to each other on the stair beneath them, right next to each other. Reverser and Evillustrator, together.</p><p>Just like the two of them.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm really putting off the Gamer 2.0 one huh</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Gamer 2.0</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This one was kind of weird to write so I hope it makes sense lol</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I feel bad.” Nathaniel admitted, biting his lip. Judging based on how asking Kitty Section had gone, Max really didn’t have anyone to test out his brand new game. And it sounded so cool! Secretly, Nathaniel wished that they’d had the time to test it out, but he knew in his heart that Marc was right about needing to get work on their comic book done before the first meeting with the editor.</p><p>Marc nodded. “Me too. I wish we had time.”</p><p>“Yeah…” Nathaniel paused, something occurring to him. “Hey, he said you can play as past akumas in the game, right? Do you think Evillustrator and Reverser are in it?” His excitement only grew as he considered this. What if he could actually “be” Evillustrator without the pain of being akumatized? The gameplay might actually help with their comic, too. And it could possibly answer the question of which of the two akumas would win in a fight…which could probably help with their comic book, right? Like if Dark Cupid infected one of them—</p><p>Shrugging, Marc met his eyes. “Evillustrator, probably. But I doubt Reverser was important enough to be included.”</p><p>“Aw, Marc!” He reached for his boyfriend, hugging him tightly. Marc seemed a little out of sorts that day, and this response was no exception, but Nathaniel couldn’t bear to see him like that. “You’re important.”</p><p>His voice muffled by Nathaniel’s jacket, Marc murmured, “I didn’t say myself. I said Reverser.”</p><p>“Still.” </p><p>He let go and gently cupped Marc’s face in his hands. Marc leaned forward, and then they were kissing, moving their chairs so that there was no space between them. The pen in Marc’s hand clattered to the floor. He then reached forward and tucked Nathaniel’s bangs behind his ear, so as soon as they first broke apart, they were able to make total eye contact.</p><p>“Hold on.” Nathaniel gently wiped Marc’s smeared lip gloss from around his lips. “Uh, sorry…I just wanted to…”</p><p>Marc smiled, his grin lighting up his face like the sun.</p><p>They continued to work on their comic book for a bit, Nathaniel occasionally taking glances towards Marc’s newest page of writing. It was hard to read it so quickly, given Marc’s loopy cursive handwriting, but he could pick out a couple words and phrases. It seemed like Mightyillustrator and Reverser were having a quiet moment of discussion, and Nathaniel couldn’t wait to see the whole scene. </p><p>“Almost done.” Nathaniel announced, sliding his drawing over so Marc could see. </p><p>The writer nodded his approval. “I like it.”</p><p>“Anything you’d change? I want to make it perfect for the editor.”</p><p>“Kind of defeats the purpose of an editor.” Marc grinned again. “No, it looks good.” He paused. “Wait, one thing: you do know that you draw Reverser way too pretty, right? He looks like a model or something.”</p><p>“I just draw him the way he looked.” Nathaniel said, keeping his tone innocent. </p><p>“Oh, stop.” Marc pressed his lips together, clearly trying not to smile. </p><p>Nathaniel narrowed his eyes playfully. “Big words coming from the person who had a crush on Evillustrator.”</p><p><em> “Nath!” </em> Marc nearly choked while laughing. “I told you that in secrecy!” </p><p>Nathaniel was about to reply, but before he could say anything else, a bright glow seemed to envelop the room. He turned to Marc, only to clasp his hand over his mouth in horror as his boyfriend disappeared into the light right before his eyes. But he didn’t have long to panic, as seconds later, he felt himself disappearing as well. The last thing he saw was blinding white, then nothing at all.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is one of my favorite episodes, but I wasn't sure what to really do for this chapter/section/whatever since there isn't much to say on what they're doing besides working on the comic book......</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Hearthunter/Miracle Queen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey, sorry I disappeared for a bit! School caught up to me, and I was doing NaNoWriMo, so I had to take a break from these, but I should have a bit more time now!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>“Nath.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Marc smiled, gently stroking his boyfriend’s hair, whose arms seemed to be permanently fixed around his neck. “I’m okay, I promise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but…you know.” Nathaniel muttered, his voice muffled by his face being buried in Marc’s hoodie. He’d hardly stopped hugging the writer since the miraculous cure had been cast, bringing back everyone who’s disappeared via Hearthunter, and he wasn’t about to now. Marc had assured him he was fine, and they’d been in incidents like this before and made it through, but…just the thought of losing Marc was terrifying. And the two having disappeared together didn’t help matters much, as the akuma apparently targeted those in love.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know.” And if Marc was trying to get Nathaniel to let go, he wasn’t doing a very good job of it. He continued to gently run his fingers through the other boy’s hair, the look on his face saddened by both the incident and Nathaniel’s reaction to it. “I might write something about this for the comic book.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nathaniel lifted his head, intrigued. “You think? So Hearthunter’s the akuma, and Mightyillustrator and Reverser get hit, and they’re so in love that they—”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Disappear, yeah.” Marc didn’t seem too bothered by the idea, but Nathaniel knew that his boyfriend used writing as a coping mechanism, to get his ideas out and work through them in a constructive way. Which was probably what he was going to do here. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well…” Nathaniel straightened his posture, reclining against Marc’s shoulder. Being zapped by the akuma from before took a lot of their energy, and he really didn’t want to stray too far from Marc at the moment. It was no secret that his reaction was stronger than the writer’s, but something about the incident had gotten to him. Even if everything was fine now. “I guess this means we’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> in love that the akuma’s power worked on us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marc smiled tentatively. “Yeah. But I think I already knew that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me too.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nathaniel cupped Marc’s cheek, turning the writer’s face towards him, and then gently kissed him. He knew his lips were dry and Marc’s lipstick was a mess, but he didn’t care. Marc didn’t seem to mind either, kissing him back with a fervor and clinging onto Nathaniel’s shoulders. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A buzzing from Nathaniel’s phone interrupted the two. Nathaniel reached into his pocket and pulled it out, curiously reading the new text from Alix. She hadn’t been affected by the akuma as far as he was aware—especially since she was aromantic and it was a romantic-based-love akuma—but he hadn’t expected to hear from her so soon.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Whole class (minus Chloe) is getting ice cream, wanna come? Kim’s a loser and ditched me for Ondine, so you better be there so me and Max don’t get bored. Bring Marc if he’s with you, everyone’s kinda on a date anyway.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marc glanced over Nathaniel's shoulder, skimming through the text message. “Oh, that actually sounds fun. Did you want to go?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, let’s do it.” Nathaniel agreed, quickly texting Alix back to let her know that they’d be there in a couple minutes. She responded with only a thumbs-up, so Nathaniel slipped his phone back into his pocket and leaned against Marc’s soft hoodie again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That means you have to get up.” Marc teased, gently brushing Nathaniel’s hair out of his face. Marc liked his hair, he’d said that a number of times before, but he also liked to see his eyes, and Nathaniel wasn’t opposed to it. Having a cute boy—who happened to be his boyfriend—combing his hair back? Why would he be against that?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, I know. Just another minute.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They remained there for a few more moments before Nathaniel stood up, brushing off his jeans, and reaching out a hand to help Marc to his feet. Once the two of them were settled, standing and holding hands, Nathaniel kissed Marc’s cheek one last time, causing the writer to grin and blush at the same time. Marc got so easily flustered by attention like that, and Nathaniel thought it was cute, making that a usual in their relationship. Just as both of them appreciated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then they were off to join the rest of the class for ice cream and a pleasant end to the long day.</span>
</p>
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